There are a lot of unknowns about Christopher Nolan’s upcoming Tenet. We don’t know the plot, we don’t know the scope, we aren’t even sure about the damn release date. We just know that it’s a Nolan film and promises to be complicated and layered. That’s enough for us. More than enough.
With a lack of information, speculation arises. So people have been assuming a lot about Tenet. One of the biggest assumptions is that the movie is about time travel. Why would we think that? Well, the trailer suggested as much, featuring shots of cars crashing and then un-crashing and action going in reverse. Plus, Nolan has played with time a lot in his previous films. It isn’t too crazy to imagine that his latest is about traveling through time.
Well, it’s not about time travel, that much is certain. Tenet co-star Robert Pattinson said as much in a new GQ interview. Here’s his definitive quote:
“He’s not a time traveler. There’s actually no time traveling. [laughs] That’s, like, the one thing I’m approved to say.”
Okay, so the time travel theory is officially dead but that doesn’t mean that Tenet won’t revolve around time being toyed with in some way. There is a lot from the trailer to suggest that Nolan’s spy thriller will involve time trickery. Even the palindrome title hints that the movie will manipulate the order of things.
But a straight-up time travel film? Seems that isn’t the case. And that is okay, Tenet still promises to be something special and smart and completely unique. Perhaps what excites me most from the GQ piece is this quote from Nolan himself about the film:
“A complete grasp of the script, in the case of Tenet, is one that understands and acknowledges the need for this film to live on in the audience’s mind, and suggest possibilities in the audience’s mind. ”
Time travel or no time travel, it sounds like Tenet is going to be one to chew on for a long time.
The movie is still slated to open on July 17 but rumor has it that the date may change this week. Apparently WB is weighing their options about delaying Tenet due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They — and Nolan — really want the film to open in July but it’s becoming more and more apparent that not many theaters will be in commission by then and it might not be entirely safe to premiere a major studio release at that time. So we will see. Whenever Tenet comes out, a lot of people will be there on day one.